


the only exception.

by engineblade



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Agender Character, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Online Friendship, Trans Male Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-26
Updated: 2019-12-26
Packaged: 2021-02-26 04:33:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,877
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21977404
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/engineblade/pseuds/engineblade
Summary: Noctis and Prompto are best friends. They hang out constantly, talk every day, and fall asleep calling each other. The only thing is, they've never met in real life - they met in an online video game.
Relationships: Prompto Argentum/Noctis Lucis Caelum
Comments: 5
Kudos: 77





	the only exception.

**Author's Note:**

> and i've always lived like this,  
> keeping a comfortable distance  
> and up until now  
> i had sworn to myself that i'm content  
> with loneliness  
> because none of it was ever worth the risk  
> but, you are the only exception
> 
> the only exception - paramore

The sound of knuckles cracking reverberated in the low-lit apartment room. Noctis stretched in his chair; he'd been gaming with Prompto for hours now. That was usual for the two of them though, ever since they met a year ago.

_"We need a healer," Noct mumbled into his headset. He'd already begrudgingly clicked on Reinhardt and Gods did he hate tanking, but he knew it needed to be done. Noct would much rather play DPS but unfortunately in Overwatch you can't always play who you want. He cracked his knuckles - a terrible habit he had - and waited for somebody to pick a healer.  
"I don't mind," came a cracking, nervous voice. Their battle tag was Quicksilver, Noct noted, which was pretty cool. "I'll play Ana if we could get a Lùcio."_

_  
"Not sure if it's gonna happen buddy," Noct muttered back. No one else seemed to be in chat, so Noct quickly fired off a typed message: **"go lucio."** He sat back in his chair, waiting fruitlessly. Of course, the match started and at the last second somebody switched to the support hero. Noct took a deep breath and charged on, ready to shield his teammates._

_Quicksilver and Noct had a pretty good synergy going; Noct received every nanoboost and managed to clear the enemy team each time. Quicksilver had superb healing and Noct was surprised given how nervous they sounded. Noct wondered if voice chat made them anxious, and if so, he could understand. Being nonbinary, Noct understood the pains of being misgendered and displaying your voice to a bunch of gamers was like dipping your foot in a pool of sharks: dangerous as fuck. Noct got called a girl a few times, but he didn't mind so much anymore. He was pretty carefree when it came to gender, anyway, but maybe Quicksilver had some qualms about it._

_  
"You're a great healer, dude," Noct said as he swung his hammer and killed an invisible Sombra. Nice. "Thanks for all the nanos, too."_

_  
A laugh came through Noct's headphones and his heart nearly stopped. What a warm sound. "Thanks! I'll keep 'em comin'."_

_Their team managed to win the match and as it came to an end, Noct found a wave of confidence to ask a question. "Wanna party up?"  
There was a brief silence before Quicksilver replied, "I'd love to!"_

_  
Noct quickly sent a request for Quicksilver to join, and a friend request along with it. He sat back, cracked his knuckles, and waited for the other to join._

_  
Quicksilver joined and instantly came into the group chat. "Hey! Thanks for the invite."_

_  
"No problem. You're too good of an Ana to let go. Your sleep darts were great, too."_

_  
A beat of silence. "You think so? Thanks! Your Rein was crazy too, man."_

_Noct smiled. "Thanks."  
_

_"So where are you from?"  
_

_The fun thing about Overwatch was the possibility of teaming up with people from all over the place. Noct played on the NA server but that didn't always stop people from around the world playing there, too. "Lucis. I live in Insomnia."  
_

_"No way!" Came the instant, excited reply. "Me too!"  
Insomnia was a massive city, the biggest in Lucis and one of the biggest in all of Eos. It was somewhat common to run into people who also lived there. Noct smiled.  
_

_"Hell yeah," Noct replied, clicking to queue in for another competitive match. "You got Discord?"  
_

_"Yep! It's Quicksilver#1717."  
_

_"Nice. I'll add you."_

_The pair played several matches and climbed ranks pretty easily, but it started to get a little too late to still be playing. 4 AM too late. They'd moved to Discord voice chat and even though they were off the game, they were still talking. Noct had learned that his new friend's name is Prompto and his favourite colour is peach, he loves chocobos, and he's a tattoo artist apprentice but he's also passionate about photography. Noct had revealed his favourite colour is black, he loves sleeping, he currently works at a coffee shop and has no idea what he wants to do with his life. Noct had shut his computer off and climbed into bed, lying on his side and scrolling through his phone while Prompto talked._

_  
"So what other games do you play, Noct?" A warm feeling pooled in Noct's stomach hearing his nickname from his newfound friend.  
_

_"I'm actually more into RPGs than Overwatch," he admitted, "but sometimes I just need to mindlessly point and shoot strangers on the internet."  
_

_A laugh, followed by, "Yeah, me too. Overwatch is actually a good de-stressor for me." There was a moment of silence. "At least when I'm not being misgendered." Prompto's voice was quiet.  
_

_Noct smiled. "Me too," he replied quietly.  
_

_"You're trans?!" Prompto's voice cracked.  
_

_"Yup, nonbinary. My gender is a vague abstract concept. I don't really care what pronouns people use for me but most people go with he/him. They/them works too."  
_

_Prompto, who previously was dozing off, now sounded wide awake. "Oh my Gods, I knew there was something about you that made me comfortable. Of course you're trans too! I'm a trans guy, so just he/him for me."  
_

_Noct nodded, though he knew Prompto couldn't see. "Gotcha."  
_

_"I've had so much fun gaming with you, we should do this again," Prompto said.  
_

_A small smile crept up on Noct's face. "For sure. I've got work tomorrow, but I'll be home around 7."  
_

_"Perfect! Let's play again at 7. It doesn't even have to be Overwatch; I'm down for anything."  
_

_"How about Final Fantasy XIV?"  
_

_"Hell yes!"  
_

_Noct passed out not long after the plan was made._

"Prompto, this tank sucks," Noct groaned. They'd been stuck in this dungeon for twenty minutes because their tank didn't know how to tank despite being max level. They forgot to put on their tank stance and weren't using any cooldowns whatsoever, so naturally they kept dying.

"Dude, I know, this is brutal. I wish you were tanking instead."

Noct laughed. He preferred DPS in this MMO as well, but he didn't mind playing the Dark Knight job once in a while. "Honestly same. Our queue time would've been so much faster, too."

"You're so right. Gods, I feel so bad for our healer."

Prompto and Noctis both had queued in as DPS jobs: bard and dragoon respectively. Their healer was a pitiable astrologian that kept saying "we can do it!" in the party chat, but Noct was losing faith. In fact, he lost faith seven deaths ago.

"Poor healer," Noct agreed.

"I think I'm gonna get off after this dungeon, dude. It's drained me."

Noct sighed. "Honestly, me too. Might try to tackle some homework but I'll probably end up in bed playing King's Knight until I knock out."

Prompto laughed. "You're the king of sleeping, dude. Sleeping Beauty's got nothing on you."

Noct's cheeks flushed and his stomach twisted. Did Prompto just compare him to a princess? And why did it make Noct smile so much? "Shut up."

"It's true!"

Noct rolled his eyes, "Whatever." He clacked away at his keys, desperately trying to kill the boss before it killed their tank again. The tank finally had tank stance on and was starting to use cooldowns, so maybe they'd finally clear this place. Noctis was afraid to have too much hope for this tank, though. Noct's character lunged with his spear, landing the killing blow. He let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding.

"There we go!" Prompto cheered, "Woo!"

Noctis grinned. "Finally."

"Seventh time's the charm?" Prompto offered with a chuckle.

"Guess so."

The party of four carried on to the next room of the dungeon. Now that the tank was actually tanking, Noctis had faith they'd clear the last bit in no time.

Noct stretched back in his chair, a yawn escaping his lips. He and Prompto had switched off Final Fantasy and were instead streaming a horror movie together, but Noct was far too tired to actually be scared. "Hey, Prom?" he muttered through a yawn as the bad guy jump-scared into view. "Dunno if I'm gonna make it to the end of this, honestly."

"No worries, dude. We can flip on something a little easier to sleep to if you want?" Prompto was such a good friend. The stream paused.

"Sure, sounds good." He turned his monitor to face his bed. He stripped his pants off and carefully slipped his sports bra off while keeping his shirt on. "Just getting into bed," Noct admitted, yawning, before lifting his sheets and crawling into bed. "Alright, I'm in."

"Me too," Prompto said softly. Noctis could hear a light shuffling noise: probably the sound of the other's sheets being tugged. "All cozy."

Noct smiled warmly. It was hard not to feel comfortable when he was talking to Prompto, a rare feeling for him otherwise. "Wanna watch Tangled?"

Prompto's voice rasped sleepily, "Oh, you know I do."

Noctis fell asleep halfway into _When Will My Life Begin._

When Noctis woke up, he noticed the Discord call with Prompto was still connected. He rolled over to grab his phone and check the time. It was his day off, but he knew Prompto had work in the afternoon. "You there, Prom?" Noct lifted a hand and rubbed at his eye hazily. He yawned.

  
"You're up early," came Prompto's chipper, sarcastic response. It was noon, so hardly "early" for most people, and Noct probably could've slept longer if he wanted to. "Surprised you're up at all. You were out like a light last night, dude." Noctis could _hear_ the teasing smile in Prompto's voice.

"Hey, I told you I was tired! Work was crazy yesterday, I was already exhausted when I got home." Noctis sat up, stretched, and climbed out of bed to start his daily routine. "When do you have to be in the shop today?"

"I have a client coming in for a piece at 3 so I'll be there at 2 to set up and stuff." Prompto worked as a tattoo artist at a shop in the Insomnia outskirts where Prompto lived. Despite the fact that they technically lived in the same city, it was still far enough for it to be a hassle to see each other. Seeing each other was something that was always put on the back-burner; they both had conflicting schedules. The only time they could spend together was late in the night, and that was time reserved for gaming.

  
"Nice," Noctis replied, pulling on a fresh pair of underwear and a fresh sports bra. He wasn't sure if he was going out or not today - Gladio and Ignis were on his ass about fresh air and all that. He grabbed a black t-shirt off the ground, gave it a sniff, and deemed it clean enough. "What sort of piece are they getting?"

  
"A portrait of their cat. It's actually pretty cute." Noctis could hear Prompto shuffling about on the other end. It was one o'clock, so he was probably getting ready to head out. Their call would come to an end soon, a fact that left a slight stabbing feeling in Noct's chest that he chose to ignore. They'd talk again tonight.

  
"Very cute," Noctis agreed, admiring his own portrait pieces of Umbra and Pryna on each thigh. Speaking of, Umbra and Pryna both were nestled at the foot of Noct's bed, sound asleep. Noct gave Umbra a scratch behind the ears and Pryna a pat on the head. The two dogs stirred, tails wagging, greeting Noctis. "You guys ready for a walk?" The magic word had the dogs jumping off the bed, barking. Noct laughed and slid into a pair of jogging pants.

  
"Aww, good morning Umbra and Pryna!" Prompto cooed. "I can't wait to meet them someday."

  
Noct's heart jolted, a shiver running down his spine. Meeting up was always a conversation that stopped Noctis in his tracks. It wasn't that Noct didn't want to meet up - oh Gods, did he ever - it was more so that he was nervous to meet. Anxious. Noct was a shy person and he worried about being awkward around Prompto if they met up in real life. Which, of course, Noctis knows is stupid because Prompto is literally his best friend; there's no one in his life he's more comfortable to talk to, that knows more about him than Prompto. But what if things were weird IRL? What if Noctis froze up like he did when they video chatted for the first time?

  
"Yeah," came Noct's shaky response. He cleared his throat. "They'd love you." Noctis fetched their leashes from the hook by the front door. He fastened them to their collars and held both in one hand, pressing his phone between his ear and shoulder, swinging his door open with his now-free hand. He locked up and headed for the elevator.

"They're both so cute," Prompto continued, still rustling about. "Speaking of… When are we gonna meet up?"

Noctis was relieved to have the company of his dogs in this moment. He crouched down, Umbra headbutting his thigh and Pryna looking at him with a seemingly knowing gaze. She stepped closer to him, and he ran a hand through her white fur.

"Soon," Noct answered, like he always did.

"When though?" There was a seriousness in Prompto's tone. "I wanna hang out with you so bad, like _actually_ hang out with you. I have a free day coming up next week, no appointments, if you can make it."

Noct took a few deep breaths, standing back up as the elevator dinged and the doors slid open. He stepped inside, dogs in tow, and took a moment before answering. His heartbeat was way out of whack, and he could feel sweat forming over his brow. He swallowed a lump. "What day?" He knew he needed to do this. He could hear Gladio, Ignis, and his fucking therapist whispering "do it" in his ear like Palpatine. Except they weren't sith lords - they were _right._ This was something he wanted, and just because he was anxious didn't mean it would be bad. It's Prompto. Fucking _Prompto._ He'd be fine. Noct took one last deep breath and braced himself.

"Tuesday," Prompto replied, a smile in his voice. "Are you working? Gods, I hope not."

"If I am, I'll just call in sick. Ignis can fill in for me."

"Awesome! So Tuesday next week then?"

Noct smiled, heart still thumping madly. "Tuesday next week."

"Woohoo!" Prompto cheered, voice high and bright and sending a shockwave through Noct's entire being. "Wanna go to the aquarium? I wanna try out my new camera and it'd be so cool to get some pics of the jellies."

Noct couldn't stop himself from smiling softly. "Anything you want." Then, his face flushed. That was such an embarrassing thing to say.

"Cool, we can figure it out. But I gotta get going now, Noct. I'll call you tonight when I get home!"

Noctis clung to that promise. "Sure thing. Have fun today."

"I will!" Prompto loved his job, a fact that he frequently shared with Noctis. His shop was incredibly body-positive and LGBT inclusive. The parlour doubled as a clothing and knick-knack shop; all items were made or designed by local LGBT artists. Honestly, Noct really wanted to check it out, and maybe get his next tattoo there, too. It sounded like paradise.

"Talk to you later," Noct replied, the elevator finally reaching the ground floor. The call ended and he pocketed his phone. He turned his attention to his dogs waiting patiently by his feet. "Let's go, guys." He led the pair outside.

Noctis was currently curled up in bed with his dogs, attempting to nap. Emphasis on attempting, because his phone was blowing up with messages from Gladio and Ignis in their group chat.  
 ****

**Gladio** : Iggy told me it's your off day from the café. Coming to get you in twenty minutes.  
 ****

**Ignis** : Gladio and I will be arriving shortly.  
 ****

**Gladio** : Hello???  
 ****

**Gladio** : We have a spare key. I'll drag your ass out of bed if I have to.  
 ****

**Ignis** : Please answer. Gladio is quite a bit restless.

Noctis groaned. "Fine," he said to no one in particular, rolling over and disturbing the dogs from their rest. Umbra grumbled while Pryna looked up at him expectantly.  
 ****

**Noctis** : im up.  
 ****

**Gladio** :Good. Get dressed.

Noct's eyes nearly rolled into the back of his skull. Begrudgingly, Noctis pulled himself out of bed and searched his room for a neater outfit than the one he had on; if he looked like he just rolled out of bed, both Gladio and Ignis would throw a fit. He switched into a pair of tight-fitting black jeans but kept the same t-shirt on. He quickly applied some deodorant and tousled his hair before making his way to the kitchen, dogs following closely behind. He didn't realize how hungry he was, and although he knew the guys were gonna drag him out to lunch, he needed to have a quick snack to hold him over until they got there.

Twenty minutes was a lie. Gladio and Ignis arrived in ten. A hefty knock sounded - Gladio, no doubt - and Noct opened the door with a sigh. "What's up?" came his greeting.

Gladio let himself in and immediately crouched down to pet Umbra and Pryna. "Hey, guys!" he cooed, scratching both behind the ear. "We're gonna steal Noct for a while if that's okay." Pryna barked, as if saying it was. Traitor. Umbra was rolled over on his back, patiently waiting for a belly rub.

"Are you hungry?" Ignis asked, making his way into the kitchen to tidy up the mess on Noct's counter.

"You don't have to clean up after me, Iggy," Noctis grumbled. "Seriously."

"Someone has to," came Ignis' clipped reply, but he had a soft smile on his face.  
Noctis knew the two of them worried about him, and he supposed they had good reason to. Noct had had a few slip ups here and there, and his mental health hasn't always been in the best shape. He'd been living alone in this apartment for a year now, and the guys weren't too happy about Noct being by himself. It frustrated Noctis how much they worried, though.

"If it makes you happy," Noct answered in defeat. "So, where are we going?"

"Wherever," came Gladio. "We're all hungry, so why not get all-you-can-eat sushi?"

Noct perked up at that. "Sushi? I'm down."

"Good." Ignis placed the last of the dishes into the dishwasher and wiped down the now-tidy counter. "It's settled then."

"You two be good while I'm gone," Noctis warned the pair of dogs, crouched to their level and giving them both well-deserved pets on the head. "I shouldn't be too long."

Sushi was a favourite food of Noct's - really, any seafood hit the right spot in his belly. He was usually picky when it came to food, but all-you-can-eat sushi? He practically licked the plates clean.

"Someone was hungry," Gladio grumbled, "do you not feed yourself at home?" Ignis looked up from his chopsticks, staring at Noctis.

"I do," Noct half-lied. He didn't necessarily feed _himself_ so much as someone else made food for him, and then had it delivered to his door.

Ignis sighed, seeing through the lie. "I've taught you how to cook several easy meals, Noct. The least you can do is make one of them per week."

Noct groaned, stealing a piece of sushi off the plate that Gladio's chopsticks were aimed for. The big guy hissed under his breath, but allowed it. "It takes so much effort, and I'm always tired by the time I get home."  
Ignis raised a brow. "Why not cook a meal on your days off, then?"

Noct felt cornered. Ignis had a point, but he couldn't concede and let Specs win. He pressed on. "Days off are for relaxing. Why would I spend down time doing something I hate doing?"

Ignis folded his arms over his chest. "Noct," was his sighed reply.

Noctis shrugged, picking up the iPad the restaurant used to order another round of plates. "I'm fine," Noctis assured with a wave of his hand. His friends were constantly on his ass, and Noctis both understood why and appreciated it, but sometimes it was annoying. He was an adult, he didn't need to be babied or supervised. He pulled out his phone, and when he saw a message from Prompto, his face lit up.  
 ****

**Prompto:** just got to the shop! hope you have a good day ^^  
 ****

**Noctis:** you too buddy

Gladio snorted. "Talking to your _boyfriend_?"

Noct flushed instantly. "He's not my boyfriend."

Gladio barked a laugh. "But you knew who I meant!"

Noct's face went impossibly redder. "Piss off." Even Ignis chuckled at that.

"When are you two gonna actually meet?" Gladio asked, tone serious. Their next plates came to the table and Gladio dug in immediately.  
Noct paused, chopsticks hovering over a roll. "Next Tuesday, actually." He tried to still his shaking hand as he went to lift a piece of sushi. Thankfully, he didn't struggle getting it into his mouth.

Both Gladio and Ignis were visibly surprised. "Really?" Ignis inquired, adjusting his glasses. "Well, that's good news to hear. Are you excited?"

Noct wanted so badly to change the subject, but he was trapped now, like a caged animal. He had no choice but to confront his feelings. "Of course I am, why wouldn't I be?" He admitted, still blushing. "He's my best friend."

Ignis smiled softly. "We're excited for you. What do you two have planned?"

Noct stuffed another piece of sushi in his mouth to have a minute to compose himself. "Aquarium," he muffled around rice and shrimp, spicy mayo splotched on the corner of his lip. "Prom got a new camera. Wants to take pictures of stuff."

"Sounds like a date," Gladio murmured, snickering. Noct was gonna hit him.

"Gladio," Ignis sighed, "don't tease him so much." Then, a devilish grin pulled at Ignis' mouth. "Though it does sound quite like a date."

"Not you too, Specs," Noct groaned, sinking into his chair.

The trio carried on bantering for another thirty minutes or so, then got the bill and headed to their next destination.

Their next destination was taking Noctis to his therapy sessions. It'd kind of been tradition that every other week, Gladio and Ignis would take Noctis out for lunch before he had to go to therapy. It was a good thing too, because Noct always forgot he had these appointments. Though it did feel embarrassing that his two friends had to escort him to his therapist just because he'd missed a handful of sessions by oversleeping, he still somewhat appreciated the gesture.

"Wanna go to the bar for a bit later?" Gladios asked from the front seat of the car as Ignis drove. "Or catch a movie after your appointment?"

Noctis shrugged. He'd probably spend the rest of the day waiting for Prompto to get home, and the bar didn't sound like such a great idea when he had work the next day. Maybe a movie wouldn't be so bad. "We could see a movie, sure."  
Ignis pulled into a parking spot and stepped out of the car. Gladio and Noct followed suit. "Remember to be honest with her," Ignis reminded, "and maybe tell her the news of Prompto."

Noct rolled his eyes. "Sure, sure. I'll text you guys when I'm out."

"We'll be around," Gladio assured, clapping Noct on the back. Ignis offered an encouraging smile. With a nod, Noct entered the building and took the elevator up to the floor of his therapist's office.

Monica wasn't ready to see him just yet - Ignis always made sure he was early - so he pulled out his phone and played some King's Knight.  
 ****

**Prompto** : client just showed up!!  
 ****

**Noct** : awesome!! have fun with the piece  
 ****

**Prompto** : i will ^^ gonna post pics to my instagram, so check it out!  
 ****

**Noct** : definitely will

"Noctis?" came Monica's voice.

Noct looked up from his phone. "Oh, hey."

"Come on in."

Noctis followed Monica out of the reception area and into Monica's office. The lighting was warm, and the chair she had for him was comfy. If he were in any other situation, Noct would easily fall asleep in a chair like this. Instead, he sat stiffly and awkwardly as per usual.

"So how have you been the past two weeks?" Monica began.

Noctis shrugged. "Fine…" Ignis' voice rang in his head, reminding him to be honest. He sighed. "Been hard making food for myself, though. Sleeping a lot on my days off… But I'm meeting Prompto next Tuesday."

Monica nodded, scribbling notes on her pad of paper, then she perked up at the last point. "Finally! I'm so happy to hear that. Are you nervous?"

Noct swallowed. "Scared shitless, honestly."

Monica laughed. "I can imagine you are. He's important to you. What's got you anxious about it?"

Noct chewed on his bottom lip. He knew his fears were stupid - though Monica would berate him for saying his feelings are stupid - so he didn't really know how to pinpoint what, exactly, was making him so anxious. "I don't really know…"

Monica suggested, "Are you worried things might be awkward?"

Noct nodded. "Yeah, like what if I can't think of things to say and we just stand there in awkward silence?"

Monica hummed. "I imagine you're going somewhere when you meet up, right?"

"Yeah, to the aquarium."

She smiled. "I'm sure you'll have plenty to talk about, then. You love animals, Noctis, you'll find things to say."

Noctis blushed. The first time he met Monica, he was forced to write things he cared about. He'd been in a bad place then - really, really bad - but he managed to write down animals and his friends. Monica, of course, had remembered that, too. "I know you're right, but I'm still nervous about it." His ears felt hot, and butterflies fluttered in his stomach. "But…" He couldn't find the words to express himself. Like always. When it came to feelings,

Noctis had always had difficulty articulating. He felt things intensely, though he didn't always show it nor know how to express it. He had particularly strong feelings for Prompto, and he was nervous about having to confront them head on, he supposed. But how can he put that into words?"

"Mhm?" Monica encouraged.

"I feel… Really strongly about Prompto," he started.

Monica smiled. "I know that, Noctis. How would you describe those feelings?"

Noctis squeezed his eyes shut and thought for a moment. How _would_ he describe his feelings for Prompto? "Intense…" he started. "I care about him a lot."

Monica nodded, but stayed silent, allowing Noctis to continue.

"Like… When I wake up in the morning… My first thought is to check on him, I guess. He's just really important to me, and…" Noctis was struggling. "I don't wanna mess things up."

"Have you told him how you feel?"

Noctis shook his head.

"Do you want to?"

Noctis repeated, quieter, "I don't wanna mess things up."

Monica smiled. "Noctis, the way you talk about Prompto… I doubt he doesn't feel just as strongly about you. I know it's hard, but you should be upfront about these feelings. It's important to let the people we care about know that we care about them, even if it's obvious. Hearing that affirmation is good for the soul."

Noctis nodded. He loved his friends - Ignis, Gladio… Prompto… - but he seldom said it out loud. It was something Monica had tried drilling into him time and time again, but being honest and open with his feelings didn't come easily. He knew he needed to work at it. "I know," he replied softly.

"Maybe I'll tell him when I see him." The idea made Noctis tremble, he couldn't keep his hands steady. He folded them in his lap and swallowed.

Monica nodded. "That's a good idea. Do you want to practice how you'll say it?"

Noct cracked his knuckles nervously. "I guess we could."

Monica put her notepad down. "Give it a try."

He cleared his throat. "Prompto…" he started. It felt weird pretending to talk to someone who wasn't there, especially when the one filling in for said person was his therapist. "You're really special to me, you know?" He felt embarrassed just saying that, and Prompto wasn't even there to hear it. "I… cherish what we have, and I wouldn't want anything to change that." His leg bounced anxiously. "But… I think I'm…" He squeezed his eyes shut, bracing himself. I'm in love with you. The words swam in his head, but he couldn't bring himself to say them.

"You can do it, Noctis."

He shook his head. "I don't think I should."

Monica nodded, smiling encouragingly. "Take your time. Maybe you don't have to tell him when you see him, but you can't hide it forever, okay?"

"Okay," Noct agreed.

"Is there anything else you'd like to talk about? I know you said you've been sleeping a lot… Have you been taking your meds?"

Noctis nodded. He was on anti-depressants that were supposed to help wake him up, but he still felt pretty sleepy regardless. That's just how he was.

"Yeah, I've been taking them. Still pretty tired though, and then I struggle to stay asleep some nights."

Monica lifted her notepad back into her lap, writing as Noctis spoke. "What do you think is causing your sleep troubles?"

Noctis shrugged. "I get nightmares some nights… Sometimes I just wake up anxious for no reason. I'm not sure."

Monica hummed. "Maybe we can have a chat with your psychiatrist about getting you on some sleep meds again. I just worry about you being on

them when you're already so tired."

Noctis nodded. He didn't really like the idea of being on sleeping pills, anyway. Not after last time when he took one too many and almost didn't wake up. He shuddered. "I sleep well when I'm on call with Prompto. Even if I wake up… Having him there is… Comforting."

Monica nodded with a smile. "That's good, Noctis. I'm glad his company makes you feel secure. Let's talk about some strategies to help you get back to sleep when you wake up in the middle of the night."

The session went on like normal, Monica offered suggestions and Noctis made mental notes but knew he'd receive a piece of paper with her list by the end of it. He took the list, texted Ignis, and was out the door after an hour with his therapist.

"How'd it go?" Ignis asked when he and Gladio walked up to the building, coffees in their hands. Ignis handed a cup to Noctis. Noct took it graciously, the smell of mocha filling his nose. "Thanks, Specs. And it was good." Noctis never really shared what he talked about with his therapist, and today would be no exception. Especially because he almost outwardly admitted to being in love with his best friend today. He'd keep that to himself and be spared the ceaseless teasing from Ignis and Gladio.

The trio got back into the car and headed to the movie theatre.

They watched an action flick that was pretty standard. Nothing too exceptional but the car chases and explosions were entertaining enough. Noct had decided not to partake in pub-hopping and opted to be taken home instead where his warm bed and dogs would be waiting for him.

"Please make yourself something to eat," Ignis begged, handing Noctis bags of groceries. "I've bought you ingredients for a chicken stir fry. Do cook it, Noct."

Guiltily, Noctis took the grocery bags and waved Ignis and Gladio off. "Fine, fine." The pair waved Noct goodbye and left him to his apartment.

It was seven o'clock now, and Noctis was certain he'd be hearing from Prompto soon. While he still had the energy, though, he decided to get started on cooking. Noct wasn't a bad cook - he'd had a good teacher, after all - he just hated the act of doing it. He chopped vegetables, threw rice in the cooker, and dumped the pre-cooked chicken in the frying pan with the chopped vegetables. The rice went in next, followed by the packets of sauce Ignis had bought. Noctis stirred it up and served it on a plate. It smelled delicious, and Noctis felt proud of himself. Satisfied, he took a seat at the kitchen island and ate with Umbra and Pryna munching on their kibble by his feet.  
 ****

**Prompto** : noct! im hooooome

Noct took a bite of his stir fry and answered.  
 ****

**Noct** : howd the day go? still gotta check your instagram

Noct pulled out his phone and tapped onto the photo app. Sure enough, there was the cat piece as the first post on Noctis' feed. He grinned, tapped it twice to like it, then fired off a text to Prompto.  
 ****

**Noct** : so cool!!  
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**Prompto** : thanks!! it was a lot of fun ^^ wanna game soon?  
 ****

**Noct** : sure just eating dinner  
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**Noct** : cooked it all by myself B)  
 ****

**Prompto** : proud of you noct!! take a pic and show me!!

Noctis held his phone out and snapped a picture of his half-eaten dinner, sending it to Prompto.  
 ****

**Prompto** : oh yum! wish i could eat it with you T___T

Heat rose in Noct's cheeks, but he smiled.  
 ****

**Noct** : wish u could too

Noct's phone rang then: a Discord call from Prompto. Noctis answered immediately, despite having food in his mouth. "Hey," he said, muffled.

"Hey! Sorry, got impatient. How's dinner?" Prompto chuckled.

That familiar tingling feeling pooled in Noct's belly, like thousands of butterflies flapping their delicate wings. "You wanted to talk to me that bad?"

The line went quiet for a moment, before Prompto said, quiet and serious," Of course, Noct. You're my favourite part of every day."

Noct was about to combust. Monica's words echoed in his mind, then. _"I doubt he doesn't feel just as strongly about you."_ Did he, though? Were the feelings mutual? Noctis wasn't so sure, and he sure as hell wasn't about to ask. Instead, he smiled softly and replied, "You too, buddy."

"How's dinner?! Looks so good, dude."

Noct grinned a little smugly. It felt good to get praised for his cooking. "It honestly is. I should make this stuff more often."

"Make it for me!"

The confidence boost made Noct's mouth say things out of his control. "Why don't I cook it for you on Tuesday? You should come over after the aquarium." The moment the words escaped his lips, Noct wished he could suck them back in. That was… So embarrassing to say.

"Really?" Prompto's voice was soft. "I mean, I'd totally love that."

It was too late. "Yup," Noct responded, mentally kicking himself. He quickly finished his plate, leaving it on the counter, and padded into his room.

"Let's game! I wanna get to the next dungeon in XIV."

"Let's do it!"

Noctis slumped into his computer chair and booted the device up, instantly opening Final Fantasy XIV and logging in. Prompto was already logged in and waiting for them in their shared house in-game.

"Oh, hey there," Noct laughed, making his character wave at Prompto's. Prompto's character blew him a kiss, hearts exploding when the kiss reached Noct. Noctis rolled his eyes, but a heat pooled in his belly.

"Hey, hey!"

Noctis teleported to the place he needed to pick a quest up from, and Prompto followed. They tried to stay at the same point in the story to be able to play through it together. They did all content together, never straying far ahead of the other. It was nice getting to experience expansions with his best friend like that. Noct picked up the quest, and Prompto did too. They queued into the dungeon and waited for the party to fill.

"So, what did you do today?" Prompto asked, "aside from cook yourself a kickass meal."

Noct laughed, then explained, "Ignis and Gladio dragged me out of the house for sushi, then I went to therapy. Talked about feelings and shit. It was awkward. Then I saw a movie with Ignis and Gladio… and now I'm here."

Prompto hummed, probably nodding along as Noctis spoke. "What sorts of things did you talk about with your therapist?"

Prompto was a special case. Sometimes, Noctis felt brave enough to discuss with Prompto the things they covered in therapy. Today, though, he'd have to omit a few details. "My sleep troubles. Might get put back on sleeping pills…"

Prompto's tone was somber. "Which is the last thing you want, right?"

Noctis nodded. "Yup."

Prompto sighed. "I know they might help, but… That's worrying."

"It is," Noctis agreed. "Might even be prescribed some anti-anxiety meds along with it and I'm not thrilled about that, either. I'm fine with my anti-depressants… But I don't need that other shit. Not again."

"Right. Well, I'm sure Monica had other suggestions to help you sleep, right?"

Noctis thought about how he mentioned feeling safe sleeping on call with Prompto; how his best friend's company quelled his nightmares and anxiety. He blushed. "Said I should keep sleeping on call with you, actually."

Prompto cooed. "Aww, of course! I love sleeping with you, dude."

Noctis went impossibly redder. "Me too." His voice was practically a whisper. He was relieved when the queue for their dungeon finally popped; something to change the subject with. "Here we go!"

As always, the two are both playing their main DPS classes: Prompto on bard and Noctis on dragoon. They'd often go back to dungeons as different classes for the gear, but they always ran DPS on their first go. This dungeon was particularly exciting as it was the first dungeon in the Shadowbringers expansion.

The tank was the only one not new to the dungeon and called out tips and pointers throughout the dungeon which everyone appreciated.

"I'll let you limit break," Prompto declared when they reached the final boss, its health dangerously low.

Noctis pressed the limit break key and unleashed a powerful move, killing the boss instantly. "Nice!"

"Wicked!"

They said goodbye to their party mates, claimed loot, and continued on with the story.

The two played for a few hours until Noctis started yawning over call.

"You sleepy?" Prompto asked, in the middle of a cutscene. Noctis had just finished it.

"Yeah," Noct admitted. "Might need to hop off the game and put a movie on or something."

"Alrighty, lemme just finish this scene and we can pick a movie."

Noctis logged out and turned his monitor toward his bed. He stripped down to just his underwear and a loose t-shirt - no sports bra, Gods were they uncomfortable to sleep in - and climbed under the covers. He brought his mouse and keyboard with him to be able to pull up the stream-together website they used and started a private room.

"Wanna watch something Disney?" Noctis asked. He always reverted to kids' movies before bed; they were calming and easy to fall asleep to. He was relieved Prompto felt the same.

"You know it," Prompto answered, signing out of Final Fantasy and joining the room.

Noctis scrolled through the movies until he landed on Princess and the Frog, a favourite among the two. "Alright, let's watch this then." Noctis hit play and put his mouse and keyboard on the floor next to his bed. Umbra and Pryna padded in shortly after and hopped up onto Noct's bed, snuggling in close with him. He smiled.

"Is that Umbra and Pryna I hear?" Prompto's voice went higher when he got excited. It was adorable.

"Of course," Noct answered, petting both of them absentmindedly as his eyes started to flutter closed. "Dude, sorry if I knock out immediately. Didn't realise how tired I am."

"No worries at all." Prompto's voice was so soft. It made Noct wish he could hold the boy in his arms. Gods, that's an embarrassing thought. "I know how much going out drains you. Get some sleep."

Noct slept peacefully through the whole night, Prompto's soft voice lulling him to sleep next to him. Gods, what Noct wouldn't do to sleep next to Prompto IRL.

Noctis woke for work feeling rested. He wasn't jazzed about having to go in today, but hey; money's money and he needed it to keep his roof over his head. His dad would never let Noctis wind up homeless, but Noct also insisted that he provide for himself and not rely on his father's wealth. Regis had obliged, always supporting his son's best wishes. Noct got himself dressed, even fixed himself a coffee and a bowl of cereal, took the dogs for a walk and fed them, and was out the door to work on time. Ignis greeted him with a pleasant smile, wiping the counter down.

"Good morning, Noct," he greeted. The shop was five minutes to open.

"Morning," Noct replied, no yawn for once.

"Sleep well?" Ignis asked, eyebrow raised.

Noct smiled sheepishly. "Yeah. On call with Prom."

Ignis' smile was warm and encouraging. "Glad to hear that, Noct. Do you mind flipping the sign to open?" Although Ignis and Noct were good friends, Ignis was also the owner at the café, and the reason Noct even had the job here. Noct walked over to the entrance and flipped the sign to read open, then regrouped with Ignis behind the counter and pulled his apron on. Iris would be coming in later to help, but for now it was just Ignis and Noctis working the Saturday morning shift.

"What did you and Prompto end up doing last night?" Ignis asked as he fiddled with one of the machines.

"Just gamed and watched Princess and the Frog, nothin' special." Noctis logged into the cash register.

Ignis hummed. "That sounds rather nice."

Noctis eyed Ignis. The older man was up to something, trying to pry for information or urge Noct to do something, he wasn't sure which.

"How are you feeling now about seeing Prompto on Tuesday? I've adjusted the schedule, so don't worry about it."

Noctis smiled, a light dusting of pink warming his cheeks. "Thanks, Specs. And I feel… Good about it. Still nervous."

Ignis hummed.

Noct continued. "He's gonna come over after the aquarium…"

Ignis glanced over at Noctis. "Is that so?"

Noctis was redder than a Lucian tomato. "Yeah."

Ignis hummed again. "Sounds lovely. You'll have to cook for him."

"That's the plan, actually."

Ignis was taken aback. "Really? I'm surprised, Noct. But pleased, nonetheless."

Noct laughed. "Oh, shut up."

A customer walked in, bells dinging to announce their arrival. Noct and Ignis both straightened, Ignis greeting the customer first. "Welcome!"

"What can I get you?" Noct asked, ready to punch buttons into the till.

"Just a medium latte, please."

"Sure thing," Noct said, "for here or to go?"

"To go."

Noct nodded, grabbing a paper cup and writing the order on it, handing it off to Ignis before pressing buttons on the till. "$3.50, please."  
The customer tapped their card, smiled, and waited by the bar for their drink.

Ignis made the latte with ease. He was a pro at latte art, too, drawing a beautiful leaf-like shape into the drink before handing it off. "There we are."  
The customer thanked them and headed back out of the store.

They didn't have another customer for another hour. By the time Iris showed up at noon, the café had gotten much busier, patrons opting to have their drinks and pastries inside, escaping the summer heat. Noct was relieved when Iris tied her apron on - he could finally take a break.

"Hey guys!" she called, clapping her hands together and readying herself at the register.

"Good to see you, Iris," Ignis greeted. He had a thing for hiring friends and family, it seemed. "Noct, go ahead and take your break now."

Noct nodded, saluting. "Roger that, boss." He headed into the back room, untying his apron and hanging it on the nearest hook. Instantly, he whipped out his phone to check his messaged from Prompto.  
 ****

**Prompto** : how's work going??  
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**Prompto** : im just drawing and stuff… no clients today but im in to practice!  
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**Prompto** : also taking pictures for everyone else haha  
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**Prompto** : i miss you T__T

Noctis' face was warm, a smile spread across his lips.  
 ****

**Noct** : miss you too  
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**Noct** : work is ok… tiring, but iris just got here so im on break  
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**Prompto** : yay! we can talk!  
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**Noct:** you have me for half an hour  
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**Prompto** : all to myself? ;)  
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**Noct** : all to urself <3  
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**Prompto** : yay <3  
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**Prompto** : what time are you done?  
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**Noct** : 4… what about you?  
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**Prompto** : probably 6! might stay later if the shop needs me but id rather be at home and playing ffxiv with you  
 ****

**Noct** : gods i feel you there i wanna go home and sleep  
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**Prompto** : cant sleep without me on call though ;)  
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**Noct** : yeah ur right haha  
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**Prompto** : wait for me then! ill be home after you  
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**Noct** : cant believe ur gonna make me wait to sleep… might have to nap with the dogs until you come home  
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**Prompto** : so jealous that umbra and pryna get to sleep with u every night and im stuck on the other end of the phone :(

Noct paused, heat rising in his chest, stomach almost bursting at the seams. Was Prompto implying he wanted to sleep with Noctis? He chewed his lower lip, heart pounding.  
 ****

**Noct** : u can sleep over on tuesday if u want

Noct buried his face in his hands. He was so embarrassed. He was relieved Ignis wasn't here to see what Noctis and Prompto were talking about.  
 ****

**Prompto** : id really like that, noct  
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**Noct** : me too

On one hand, Tuesday couldn't come fast enough. But on the other hand, Noctis was almost dreading it. Was he going to tell Prompto how he felt? Would things get weird? Was the other really going to sleep over? Noct's heart was racing just as fast as his mind, and he needed to calm down before he had a panic attack.  
 ****

**Prompto** : aranea needs me to snap a shot of the piece she just did so i will brb!  
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**Prompto** : dont miss me too much ;)

Noctis rolled his eyes with a smile.  
 ****

**Noct** : ill try

Prompto didn't text back for another ten minutes, and Noct's break was nearing its end.  
 ****

**Prompto** : such a cool tattoo! it was a floral piece and aranea's colouring is incredible… i hope i can be as good as her  
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**Noct** : dont sell urself so short dude ur still an apprentice u have all the time in the world to get better  
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**Noct** : id love to get a tattoo done by u  
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**Prompto** : drop by the shop some time and i can do one for you for free!  
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**Prompto** : when is ur next off day?

Noctis stared wide-eyed at his phone. His next off day would be next Friday, when he has therapy again, and the idea of going to Prompto's tattoo shop after… He liked the idea of seeing Prompto on a regular basis. It also made him anxious as fuck.  
 ****

**Noct** : next Friday  
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**Prompto** : cool! what do you want? ^^

Noct thought for a moment. He already had portraits of Umbra and Pryna on each thigh, and sylleblossoms on his left forearm for his mother - they were her favourite flower. He didn't know what Prompto would be comfortable tattooing, and the fact that it was free made Noctis not want to choose for himself.  
 ****

**Noct** : what would u wanna do? im open to anything  
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**Prompto** : id love to practice weapon pieces… want something from ffxiv?

Noct grinned. He'd planned on getting a weapon from the game tattooed at some point.  
 ****

**Noct** : how about gae bolg on my right arm?  
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**Prompto** : oh that would be SICK! id love to do that for ya buddy  
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**Noct** : so next week on friday then?  
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**Prompto** : yeah, i should have time to have you come in! im so excited ^^

Noctis couldn't contain the grin on his face, but he still had anxieties around seeing Prompto in person. If Tuesday went well, then Friday next week

would be no sweat, right? He could hope.  
 ****

**Noct** : me too! im not letting u do it for free though and dont try to argue with me on it either… i have ur e-transfer info  
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**Prompto** : NOOOOOOCT… cmon let me do it for free ; n ;  
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**Noct** : no way! its an intricate piece, let me at least pay something for it

Noct looked up at the clock. His break was over.  
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**Noct** : im off break now so no buts or arguments its been decided im paying. bye!

Noctis pocketed his phone and went back out to the floor, tying his apron on once again.

The rest of his shift breezed past. Plenty of customers kept him busy making iced drinks and warming up pastries, and he was glad to be kept busy. When 4 o'clock rolled by he was ready to nap.

"See you guys tomorrow," he called out, exiting the store.

"Bright and early, Noct," Ignis called back.

"Bye, Noct!" squeaked Iris.

The café was in walking distance from Noct's apartment, so he never needed to drive his car. Instead, Noct walked down the street, basking in the late afternoon summer sun, the rays soaking into his dark clothes. He wasn't a big fan of summer, but Prompto adored the season, so he'd learned to appreciate the sun and the heat and the activities that it came with. _Like visiting the aquarium._ Noct's mind trailed off, thinking of other things he and Prompto could do together, and he found his face heating up very quickly. He could never get the blonde off his mind. He decided to fire Prompto a text.  
 ****

**Noct** : im walking home now. wanna play xiv when ur home?  
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**Prompto** : of course! i probably will have to stay later though… saturdays are always packed X_X  
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**Noct** : thats understandable… guess ill just have to have a nap without u  
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**Prompto** : no fair! i wanna nap with you!  
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**Noct** : tuesday is only a few days away

The realization dawned on Noct. _Two days away._ He gulped. Noct stepped into his apartment building and made for the elevator. He'd take the dogs for a walk and hopefully clear his head of Prompto for at least twenty minutes. Maybe. But he's probably going to snap a picture of the dogs, send it to Prompto, and be reminded that Prompto will be meeting Umbra and Pryna in two days. **Two. Days.** Noctis sighed. His feelings about the matter were so complicated. He was ecstatic to finally be able to meet his friend, maybe even hold him in his arms for a brief hug. Breathe in the scent of the blonde's shampoo. See his freckles up close. Hear the cadence of his voice in person. Noct dragged a hand down his face. He had it _bad_ for his best friend.  
 ****

**Prompto** : i cant wait. i really, really cant.  
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**Noct** : me neither dude

Noctis stepped into his apartment and was greeted quickly by his dogs. He gave them both head pets, then walked to the kitchen to freshen up their water bowls.  
 ****

**Prompto** : it wont be awkward, right?

Noctis paused. So Prompto was having fears too? Somehow, that made Noctis feel a little better. He wasn't the weird one blowing things out of proportion - Prompto had anxiety, too.  
 ****

**Noct** : nah, it might be at first. but were best friends. its gonna be a blast  
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**Prompto** : youre right ^^ im just so excited I think im making myself nervous over nothing, haha  
 ****

**Prompto** : anyway, i got work to do. tattoos to practice and pictures to take and clients to greet and all that. talk to you tonight!  
 ****

**Noct** : ill be waiting

Noctis carried his phone to his room and settled into bed for a nap.

He awoke to the sound of a Discord call ringing on his phone. He sleepily answered.

"H-Hello?"

"Oh, shit! Did I wake you?" It was Prompto, naturally. He sounded regretful. "I'm so sorry, dude. Thought you'd be up by now… it's 9, after all."

9? Fuck, Noct overslept again. "Is it really 9? Sorry man, I should've been up by now." He yawned. "How long have you been home?"

"Just got in," Prompto admitted. "Client was late so I had to stay longer. Aranea wanted me to watch her do the piece and then get a picture of it for the shop's page." Prompto yawned, too. "Ready to play some XIV?"

Noctis chuckled. "You sound like you're ready for bed. If you wanna just chill, that's fine too."

Prompto yawned again. "That might be best. I gotta be in early tomorrow." The line went quiet, then Prompto spoke again. "I'm really excited to see you, Noctis." His voice was soft. It always made Noctis squirm when his voice went like that. Low, meaningful.

His cheeks turned pink, ears flaring up. "Me too, dude. Told my therapist about it and everything. I'm stoked."

"You talk to your therapist about me?"

"Well, yeah, you're my best friend. You know that."

Noctis could hear the smile in Prompto's voice. "It's really sweet, that's all. What do you tell her about me?"

Noctis chewed his lip. He could be honest, or he could be an ass. He went for the latter. "That you're a dumb blonde."

Prompto let out a laugh. "Hey now! I'm not dumb! I'm the brains of our operation!"

Noctis laughed, too. "You're right, you're right." Noctis yawned again, adjusting himself under the covers. "Nah, I tell her you're special." His voice got quiet. "You're one of my emergency contacts still, y'know. In case… In case shit happens again."

Prompto was serious. "I'd be there in a heartbeat." A pause. "But you're doing a lot better these days, Noct. I can tell. There's already such a huge difference from when we first met until now. You're a lot happier… You're actually making plans and looking forward to stuff. It's awesome."

Noctis held back the reason why he's been doing so much better. Ever since Prompto came into his life, Noctis has been better. He's felt happier, his feet steadier on the ground. He still has ups and downs, but the downs aren't nearly as severe and the ups are more frequent. _You're the reason,_ he wanted to say, but Noct kept it to himself. "Thanks," he said instead. "I feel a lot better, honestly."

"That's a good thing, dude. I'm really glad."

"Wanna watch a movie?" Noct changed the subject.

"I'd love to."

It was Monday night, and Noctis and Prompto were playing Final Fantasy XIV. They were battling through a new dungeon with two other newcomers, trying to learn mechanics and beat the boss.

"Shit, this guy's tough," Noctis admitted, his health dangerously low.

"You said it," Prompto replied. He'd just been revived by the healer and was getting back into the fray.

"This expansion has been so good," Noctis awed, "everything has actually been a challenge. I love it."

"Right?! Might be even better than Heavensward."

"Truly."

The boss was finally beaten and they rolled for loot. Noctis leaned back in his computer chair and checked his phone for the time. It was past midnight.

It was officially Tuesday.

"Yo…" Noctis said. "Guess what day it is?"

Prompto laughed, a little nervously. "It's Tuesday."

"Think we should sleep soon? We're meeting up at noon, right? Outside the aquarium?"

"Yup, twelve o'clock sharp. Don't be late!" Another nervous laugh.

"Prompto…"

"Yeah?" Prompto's voice was a squeak.

"I'm… Excited." It was the truth, but there was more to it than that.

Prompto sighed, sounding relieved. "Me too, dude. I wanna see who's taller! I need to make sure you weren't lying about your height."

"I wasn't! I'm an inch taller than you."

"Not. Fair."

"Suck it!"

"Whatever!"

Noctis and Prompto laughed, both logging out of the game and getting settled for bed.

"I really can't wait," Prompto said, his voice taking on that tone that rendered Noctis smitten. So serious and tender, it made Noctis feel warm.

"I really can't either." Noctis swallowed, reaching a hand into Umbra's fur for comfort.

"You're not gonna, like, hate me or anything when we meet though, right?" Prompto sounded so small, so nervous, it made Noct's heart ache.

"Of course not," he assured. "Dude, you're my best friend. I could never hate you."

"It's just…" Prompto took a deep breath. "I've used dating apps before, right? The last person I met… They knew I was trans, but when we actually met… They made up an excuse to leave. It was crushing. I stopped using apps altogether and I was gonna swear off chatting with people online… Then I met you."

Noctis' heart hammered in his chest.

"And you changed my mind completely. I know it helps that you're trans too, but it feels so nice to be so understood and… And well, loved, Noct. You really make me feel special. I cherish our friendship more than I can put into words, buddy."

Noct's eyes stung and he wasn't sure why. Oh, he was crying. He sniffled and quickly wiped the tears away, swallowing the lump that had risen in his throat. Prompto got sappy every once in a while, and sometimes Noct did too, in his own way, even though he struggled with words. "Dude…" Noct started. "You're the most special person to me. Like, on the same level as my dogs. I don't feel comfortable with anyone else. Not my therapist, not even Ignis or Gladio. Just you." Noct took a deep breath. "You make me feel safe, Prom. Everything's gonna be fine tomorrow."

Noctis heard a sniffle on the other end. "Yeah," Prompto finally said, voice breaking ever so slightly. "You make me feel safe, too. I know you're not gonna stand me up I just… Y'know. Anxiety and all that."

Noct laughed softly. "Believe me, I get it."

"I know you do," Prompto said. "That's why we're best friends. We get each other. And I love that."

Hearing the word "love" come from Prompto made Noct's heart skip a beat. "Yeah," Noct agreed. "I love that too." It was so close to saying _I love you_ that Noctis could barely keep his composure. "Now let's pick something to watch and get some sleep."

"How about… Tangled? Again? If you don't mind." Prompto laughed sheepishly.

"Dude, I never mind watching Tangled."

"Best love story in the Disney franchise."

"You said it."

"You… Were my new dream, Noct," Prompto said dramatically, pretending to be Eugene dying. He was joking, of course, but the sentiment… Noct's face was red.

"And you were mine," Noct replied, the same lines that Eugene and Rapunzel say to each other.

This time, Noct made it past _I See the Light_ before falling asleep. He dreamt he had long black hair, braided and laced with flowers, singing in a boat with Prompto surrounded by floating lanterns.

When Noctis woke up at 10 AM, Prompto wasn't on the other line. He assumed the other hung up to get ready, which was understandable. They didn't always wake up to each other, though Noctis wished sometimes that they would. So Noctis went about his morning routine, too. He got up, fed the dogs, showered, got dressed, walked the dogs, styled his hair, and was ready to leave at 11:30. It was about a half hour drive to the aquarium despite it also being downtown and not far off from the apartment, but he had to take city traffic into consideration.  
 ****

**Noct** : on my way

No immediate response from Prompto, which again was understandable because he lived further away and was probably stuck on the subway with no reception. Noctis didn't think much of it and headed for his car in the complex garage. Despite not relying on his father's wealth, he did still have the matte black Maserati his father got him for his birthday in high school.

The drive wasn't so bad. Traffic wasn't hectic - mostly because it was a Tuesday at 11:30 AM so most people were already at work. The streets were still busy, but not so busy that Noctis needed the extra time. He was at the aquarium in fifteen minutes.  
 ****

**Noct** : got here early, just hanging around the entrance  
 ****

**Noct** : the walls have some cool art painted on them… bet u can get some good pics

It was weird not to hear from Prompto at all that morning. No good morning text, no notice that he was getting ready or leaving… Noctis was starting to panic. Prompto was going to stand him up. He wasn't going to show up. He decided Noctis simply wasn't worth meeting and was going to ghost him. Noct was stuck in a spiral, finding it hard to breathe. He walked away from the entrance and turned the corner, leaning on one of the paintings on the wall of the aquarium's building. He couldn't believe how stupid he'd been to think Prompto actually wanted to meet him.

"Noct?"

Noct's breath caught in his throat. He looked up, eyes wide and watery.

There he stood. Ripped jeans, white tank top, and a jean jacket adorned with patches. Freckles on full display. Eyes glittering. Blonde hair spiked up. Beaming grin on his face. "Noct!"

"Prom?" Noct ignored how his voice cracked. He barely had time to react to the blonde racing toward him, arms open. He grabbed Noctis into the tightest, warmest hug he'd ever felt. Noctis responded in kind, fastening his arms tightly around his best friend.

"It's so good to see you," Prompto whispered in Noctis' ear. "So, so fucking good."

"You too," Noctis whispered back, breathless. He pulled away to get a good look at Prompto, resisting the urge to cup the other's face in his hands.

"Shall we?" Prompto smirked, linking his arm with Noct's and guiding them toward the entrance. "I already bought us tickets, so we don't have to wait in line!"

"Prom, you didn't have to do that!" Noct scolded, but he couldn't stay mad at that freckled face. He smiled instead, allowing himself to be led into the building.

When they entered, they were immediately greeted by thousands upon thousands of brightly coloured fish, swimming around in tanks larger than the eye could see. Prompto marvelled at the sight, _oohing_ and _ahhing_ and snapping as many pictures with his camera as he could. "Noct, go stand over there with that funny looking fish! Lemme get a picture!" Naturally, Noctis did as he was told; Prompto's wish was his command.

"Sure, sure."

They went about like this, practically glued at the hip, pointing and gasping and laughing together. When they got to the shark tunnel, they were silent for a moment.

"This is so freaking cool," Prompto whispered, leaning into Noctis as the conveyer belt on the floor took them deeper into the shark tunnel. Sharks swam in the tank that went from one side, above them, and then to the other side. They even spotted turtles.

" _So_ cool," Noctis agreed, staring in awe at the sharks swimming above them. Prompto snapped a candid picture of Noctis looking on in amazement and he smiled to himself.

"That's a keeper for sure," Prompto decided.

"Oh, whatever," Noctis blushed.

They then came upon the jellyfish tank and Prompto stopped dead in his tracks. The area was lit with blacklight, the jellies glowing in various different neon colours. It was amazing. Prompto's camera was clicking a hundred shots per second, probably. "Noct, go stand over there and look up at the tank!"

Noct nodded, obeying his best friend instantly. He stood relaxed, hands in his tight pockets, looking on in wonder at the jellies as they bobbed. Then Prompto was at his side, pointing the camera selfie style with neon jellies as a backdrop. The pair laughed when a timid girl approached them. "Um, would you like a picture together? I could take one for you."

Prompto stared at his camera, then back at the girl, beaming. "We'd love that! I'll set it so all you have to do is point and shoot, 'kay?"  
The girl nodded, following Prompto's instructions.

Noctis posed himself a little awkwardly, never knowing what to do with his hands. But Prompto leaned into him, wrapping an arm around his waist, pulling Noct closer. Prompto's head tilted into Noct's and the blonde grinned ear to ear. Noct offered the camera his trademark awkward, soft smile. The camera clicked and the picture was taken.

"There!" The girl handed the camera back to Prompto so he could see the picture. "How's that?"

A tender smile fit itself on Prompto's lips. "Perfect," he breathed. He smiled at Noctis, then back at the girl. "Thank you so much!"

"Anytime!" She waved, and wandered back to her friends.

"What a great picture!" Prompto awed, the photo still showing on the display screen. "We gotta get this framed. Forreal."

Noctis was too mesmerized by Prompto's excitement to respond, just staring and smiling at his best friend. "Yeah," he hummed, a little absentmindedly.

"Let's keep going! I hear there's stingrays we can pet."

The pair continued on.

Prompto and Noctis ended up finding the photo-op place near the end of the aquarium. A pleasant girl was working the station, all set-up with a green screen. "Would you two like your picture taken?"

"Yes!" Prompto answered immediately, pulling Noctis by the hand. They positioned themselves in front of the green screen.

"So, we'll do one shot with fish as the backdrop, and another as a shark's open mouth. Fish goes first, so smile nicely!"

They obliged. Prompto stepped closer to Noctis, once again wrapping his arm firmly around Noct's waist and leaning his head toward Noct. Noctis smiled warmly, arm wrapped around Prompto's shoulder. The camera flashed, and they were instructed to pose for the next one. Instantly, Prompto dropped into a dramatic pose, mouth agape and eyes wide, hands defensively in the air. Noctis mirrored his pose on the other side, trying not to laugh.

"There we go! Are you interested in buying a package?"

This time, Noctis stepped forward. "Yeah," he said, "what are the options?"

The girl tapped on the sign. "I recommend the set of two photos and then wallet-sized keychains!"

Noctis nodded. "We'll get that please."

They ended up with one photo of the fish background, one photo of the shark background, a keychain of the fish background, and a keychain of the shark background. Noctis paid.

"Which ones do you want?" Noctis asked.

"Hmm…" Prompto thought. "Can I have a print of the shark background and a keychain of us smiling in front of the fishies? I'll add it to my keys right now!"

Noctis smiled. "Absolutely." He tucked his photo into his backpack and fastened his keychain to his keys. He linked arms with Prompto. "Shall we continue?"

"Lead the way!"

By the time they got to the gift shop, Noctis was a little tired from all the walking, but he was having such a good time he wouldn't dare complain about his chronic pain now. He watched Prompto flit around the store, pointing at one object only to be distracted by the next. He wound up with a shark hat on his head and laughing at a novelty t-shirt that read "women want me, fish fear me" that Prompto insisted Noctis needed to buy.

"You told me you love fishing! You gotta get this!"

"I haven't fished in ages, Prom," but Noctis still bought the shirt anyway. He also bought them each a plush replica of the spotted stingrays they got to pet, to commemorate the special moment.

"We can sleep with these, too," Prompto said quietly, smiling sheepishly. "And be reminded of this day."  
Noctis smiled too, cheeks rosy. "Yeah," he agreed, "that sounds nice."

It was around 3 o'clock when they finally left the aquarium, and their bellies were empty. "I drove here," Noctis explained, "so we can drive somewhere to eat, if you want?"

Prompto nodded. "Sure!"  
When they approached Noct's car, Prompto's jaw dropped to the ground. " _This_ is your car?! Holy shit dude, I knew your dad was loaded, but this is crazy!"

Noctis laughed. "Pretty embarrassing sixteenth birthday gift, honestly. But she's a beauty, and she's gotten me around since then."

"I'm not worthy," Prompto laughed, "I'm so not worthy."

Noctis rolled his eyes, laughing. "Alright, alright, Where do you wanna eat? My treat, so you choose."

Prompto whined. "C'mon, you don't have to pay!"

"Consider it payment for the tattoo you're giving me next Friday."

Prompto chuckled. "Okay, okay. Fine. I'm down to just hit a diner so… How about the Crow's Nest?"  
Noctis nodded, lighting the ignition and pulling out of the parking spot. "It's a date." He bit his tongue. That just slipped out. His hands trembled, but he steadied them by holding on tighter to the wheel.

  
"A date, huh?" There was a sly edge to Prompto's voice. He leaned a little closer, shifting in the passenger seat. Noctis played with the air conditioning and turned the radio on. Prompto turned the radio down. "Actually… Can I talk to you, Noct?"

A bead of sweat dripped down Noct's back. He tried to focus on the road. They were stuck at a red light. "Of course." He tried to calm his voice.

"You're the best friend I've ver had," Prompto started, "and I never, ever wanna lose you."

Noctis nodded. "Same to you, dude. Seriously."

Prompto pressed on. "But actually getting to meet you, I… I realized something."

The light was still red. Noctis was too nervous to turn and look at Prompto. "Yeah?"

Prompto audibly swallowed. Out of the corner of his eye, Noct saw Prompto fidgeting in his lap. "I think…" He shook his head. "No, I know." Prompto turned the radio off, reached his hand and turned Noct's face to look him in the eye. Noctis was about to cry, his nerves were fried. "I'm in love with you, dude."

The light turned green, but Noctis was frozen there. The car behind them honked, shaking Noctis out of his stupor. "I…" Noctis fumbled. "I. Prompto, I…" He was stammering, trying to focus on the road while also finding the words. Prompto was losing confidence, Noctis could tell, as he was looking down and no longer meeting Noctis' eyes. He fidgeted in his lap again.

"If it's not mutual, I get it. We're best friends, right? I just… I had to get that off my chest, you know? It's been bugging me for ages, and now felt like the right time to tell you. I'm sorry." Prompto sounded so defeated, Noctis couldn't bear it.

Fuck it. It was time to confront this. Noct pulled the car over. He turned the key, killing the engine. He unfastened his belt and opened the driver's side door. "What?" Prompto was shocked. "We aren't there yet… What are you doing?"

Noct closed the driver's side door and rounded the car to the passenger side. He opened the door, staring down at Prompto. "Prompto," he said, voice steady. Prompto was shaky, frantically unbuckling his seatbelt to meet Noctis outside. He rose to his feet, but didn't meet Noct's eyes until the slightly taller one lifted his chin. Noctis stared intensely into Prompto's eyes. "Is it okay if I…?" Noctis leaned closer, noses almost touching.

"O-Oh…" Prompto was beet red, realization dawning on his face. His features softened, and he grinned. "Absolutely, yes."

Noctis nervously leaned forward and their lips met. He brought his arms around Prompto's neck, pulling him closer, easing into the touch as Prompto fastened his arms around Noct's waist. There they stood, kissing on the side of the road, metaphorical fireworks firing off. It was Noct's first kiss, admittedly, but Gods was it good. His mouth fit perfectly against Prompto's. Prompto's tongue swiped across his lip and Noctis melted into it, responding to the gesture in kind. Noctis had a hand knitted into Prompto's blonde hair when they slowly pulled away, breathless.

"So?" Prompto asked, beaming. He was so pleased with himself.

"I'm in love with you too," Noctis admitted, face flushed. "That's… I kind of talked about that with my therapist. She told me I should tell you today."  
Prompto softened, wrapping his arms around Noctis and laying his head on his shoulder. "I'm so glad you feel the same." Then, Noct's stomach grumbled, killing the moment. Prompto burst out laughing. "Let's get some food!"

They continued the ten minute drive to the Crow's Nest and had a quick meal before heading back to Noct's place.

When they got back to Noct's apartment, Umbra and Pryna were quick to greet Prompto. Prompto informed Noct he'd brought a change of clothes and all the toiletries necessary for spending the night in his backpack, so Noct instructed him to drop his bag wherever he felt like. Prompto scratched Umbra and Pryna behind the ears, laughing wholeheartedly, and staring around the apartment. "You've got a really nice place," Prompto said. "You live here alone? Really?"

Noctis nodded. "It's a two bedroom, but I've just been using the other room as storage for… For my figures and stuff. Honestly…" Noctis had been very honest today, it was almost exhausting. "It'd be nice to share this space with someone. There's only three people I'd share it with, and two of them already live together."

"Gladio and Ignis?" Prompto asked, tilting his head.

Noctis nodded. "Yup."

"Who's the third?"

Noctis flushed. "You."

Prompto burst out laughing. "Seriously?" Noct was serious. Prompto stopped laughing. "Oh, my Gods."

Noctis scratched the back of his neck. "I've spent a lot of time thinking about it… It'd be great to live with you, Prom. And I'm sure my friends would get off my back a lot more if I didn't live alone."

Prompto smiled. "You know, the lease is almost up at my place, so I'll talk to Cindy and maybe we can arrange something? It's still up in the air, but I'll take that offer seriously, Noct."

Noctis grinned. "Good." He was still blushing.

Prompto stepped toward Noctis and pulled him in for a hug. "I've had so much fun today." He pressed their foreheads together. The gesture was tender, and Noctis closed the distance by placing a kiss on Prompto's freckled nose.

"Me too. I was so worried today was gonna go south, especially if… When I told you how I felt. But you beat me to it."

Prompto laughed sheepishly. "Someone had to say something!"

"Yeah," Noct grinned.

Prompto pulled away and stretched out a yawn. "Wanna watch something?"

Noctis nodded. "Sure, I'd love to."

"Wanna start watching the Tangled series? I know we've talked about wanting to watch it together… Why not start it today?"  
Noctis smiled, taking Prompto's hand and leading him to his bedroom. "Let's do it."

Noctis pulled off his jeans, revealing his black underwear. He climbed into bed and patted the spot next to himself, expertly taking his sportsbra off without removing his shirt. "Get comfy, Prom," he instructed.

Prompto seemed a little more nervous about getting undressed. He timidly undid his belt, unzipped his jeans, and slowly stepped out of them. "I…" He swallowed. "Don't make fun of my scrawny legs, okay?"

Noctis offered an encouraging smile. "I'd never." He breathed, "you're beautiful, Prom. You've got nothing to worry about."  
Prompto smiled back, nerves dissipating as he stepped out of his pants and took his shirt off. "Mind helping me with my binder?" Prompto asked sheepishly.

Noctis nodded, stepping back out of bed and helping Prompto to remove the tight piece of fabric from around his best friend's… _Boyfriend's_ chest. Prompto quickly pulled his shirt back on before he turned around to face Noctis.

"Prom…" Noct started. "Are we…?"

Prompto raised an eyebrow. "Are we what, Noctis?" He was smirking. Asshole.

"Dating…?" Noctis looked away. He was embarrassed to ask.

"If you wanna be," Prompto answered, sliding into bed next to Noctis. He pressed a gentle kiss to Noct's cheek. "I'm your first relationship, aren't I?" Cheeky bastard.

"Yeah," Noct admitted, not meeting Prompto's eyes. "So be patient with me. It's all new to me…"

Prompto gently took Noctis' hand in his, the dogs now padding into the room and joining them in bed. Prompto chuckled, but pressed on. "Of course I will be. I love you, you know?"

Noctis could feel tears pricking in his eyes, but he blinked them away. He wondered if he'd ever get used to hearing Prompto say that. "I love you, too."

The two nestled into bed, Noctis laying on Prompto's chest as they set up the Tangled series on Noct's television.

Noctis fell asleep within the first ten minutes. He didn't wake up once that night, not until the sun was fully in the sky, seeping through the curtains. When he did wake up, he was greeted by a sleepy, smiling Prompto looking down at him.

"Good morning, sleepy head," Prompto cooed, brushing a hand through Noct's mess of black hair.

Yeah, Noctis could get used to this. He really could.

**Author's Note:**

> hope you enjoyed! i love promptis so goddamn much and i needed to write more of them. i've had this au for a while! might add another chapter to this to explore their relationship further after being established, maybe have prompto move in, etc. we'll see! thanks for reading and please comment :)


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